Where Are They Now?
Anushka Asthana Class of '98

Given that I gave up studying English after taking my GCSEs I never dreamt that I would end up as a journalist. Instead I took sciences at A-Level and ended up studying Economics at Cambridge.

I had a fantastic experience while I was there, making great friends, playing sport and organising events. It was only when I was graduating in 2001 that I realised I had not thought about what I was going to do next. I ended up staying on for another year during which I got involved with the student newspaper and television channel, which prompted me to pursue a career in the media.

It was a close friend from MHSG who helped me to apply for work experience on newspapers and magazines. I worked at a local newspaper in Manchester, a news agency writing showbiz stories and spent some time at the New Statesman magazine. After that I moved to London where I enrolled on a journalism course and started doing an internship at The Observer.

I got to work on a wide range of stories - including getting an undercover job and being sent to do a 'death knock' - where I interviewed a family who had lost their daughter in an honour killing.

In the end I was in the right place at the right time and was hired by The Observer as a junior reporter, four years ago. I have been there ever since starting as a general news reporter, briefly covering for the health editor and finally becoming education correspondent. Last year I was lucky enough to be chosen to work at The Washington Post for four months where I got to travel on Air Force One and interview presidential hopeful, Barack Obama.

Even more fun was going back to MHSG to do a piece about the amazing archives that have been built up by Chris Joy. All the friends I still have from school loved their history lessons with her.